Secrets of Ink
by worrywart
Summary: Lily Luna Potter contemplates something a bit out of the norm for her 17th birthday present. When she asks her mother about it, a few secrets are discovered.


**This is my submission for the QLFC Finals, round one. As a team, we were given a particular character, Lily Luna Potter, with whom we could write any other character. I chose her mother, Ginny. My optional prompts are the word 'ink' and the emotion 'pride'.**

 **I wish to thank Thosedarndursleys who works as my beta. She obviously realises when I am writing while asleep and pokes at me to wake up and do it better. She's been very good to me!**

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The Potter household in Godric's Hollow was quiet for a Sunday evening. Harry and his sons, James and Albus were off playing Quidditch, regardless of the August heat, and Ginny was finishing up the dishes after Sunday supper.

Lily Potter was sprawled across the sofa in the sitting room, an open _Young Witch_ fashion magazine laying in her lap. The air was too hot and humid this early in the month, and once again she wished she could perform magic out of school. _One more week,_ she thought, _and I'll be able to perform any spell I want, including a Cooling Charm._

"Hey, Love. What are you doing?" asked Ginny as she walked into the room. "I've finished the dishes. Cor!" Ginny wiped her forehead with her hand. "It's hot in here. Would you like me to cast a Cooling Charm?"

Lily glared at her mother, who laughed and sat next to her look-alike daughter. "Oh, Lily; it's just one more week and then you can cast until you're heart's content."

Lily snorted and sat up. "Mum, I think I want to get an ink for my birthday."

"Ink? Sure. I think Shrivenshaft's has some on sale. We'll get you every colour of the rainbow."

"No mum!" laughed Lily. "Not _ink._ A tattoo."

"A tat…" Ginny's eyes widened a moment, and she surreptitiously touched her side. "Oh, Lily, I don't know. Most witches get jewellery on their seventeenth birthday. Your father and I have decided on something very special for you, and I know your granny has been looking forward to giving you a family heirloom."

"Well, couldn't Granny give me the jewellery and you and Pops let me get a tattoo?" Lily hedged.

The tone in her daughter's voice and expression in her eyes made Ginny smile. Memories of when Lily was little floated to the surface. She would often try to wheedle another helping of ice cream or 'just a few minutes more, please?' before bed in the evenings. Ginny reached up and fussed with Lily's hair a bit, her fingers brushing a soft cheek as she moved her hand. She asked, "Lily, why a tattoo? You've never shown any interest in them before."

"A couple of the other girls in my house got them on their birthdays."

"Really?" asked Ginny sceptically.

"Oh yes, Tabitha Longbottom got one. It's a Gryffindor Lion with a lovely bower of roses wrapped around it."

"Neville let his daughter get a tattoo? She's not seventeen for several weeks after you."

"Well," Lily confessed, "she told him afterward. He was right furious."

"Where did she get the tattoo? There are no shops in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade that I know of. She would have to be eighteen in the Muggle world, and they are quite strict about it. Not even with a parent's consent can anyone under eighteen get a tattoo there."

Lily said, "Oh, there _is_ a new shop in Diagon Alley, and you only need to be seventeen. Andrew Essersmith's brother opened one; he's a few years older than Andrew, and he's a squib. Tabitha Longbottom got one a few weeks—" Lily clapped her hand when she realised her error.

"Tabitha's parents will sort her out. However," Ginny's voice took on a very Molly-like quality, "if I hear of you pulling such a stunt, your father will be all over you like a Niffler on gold,"

"Oh, Mum. You and Dad are always worried about me getting into trouble. Dad got into loads of trouble when he was my age, and he survived."

"Young lady," Ginny began, her tone brooking no argument, "you know perfectly well that is not the way to win an argument. What your father went through doesn't even compare. You will _not_ try that approach again."

Lily moved a bit away from her mum and mumbled contritely, "Sorry." Daughter and mother were quiet a moment as they dealt with their emotions. Lily, deciding to try to lighten the moment asked, "Say Mum, how do you know about the age thing anyway?"

Ginny blushed as she realised her faux pas. "Erm, well…"

Lily goggled at her mother. " _You've_ got a tattoo, haven't you?"

"Well," Ginny began hesitantly, "It was right after the war. Your Aunt Hermione and I sort of took a long summer off before deciding what to do with our lives. You know, sort of like a gap year the Muggle kids do. We travelled a bit and while in Stockholm one night, we had been drinking and decided to play a game of truth or dare. Well, she dared me and I dared her…"

"Aunt Hermione has a tattoo?" Lily squealed. "Prim and proper Aunt Hermione?"

"Hey now, Aunt Hermione and I are still young women." Lily raised an eyebrow. "Okay, youngish woman. We do silly things now and again. Just because we are a particular age doesn't mean we don't have young souls."

"So where it is, and what'd you get?"

"It's on my shoulder blade, and it's a phoenix," Ginny hedged.

"But they're huge. How'd you get it to be so small and still look good?"

"The artist was really good." Ginny said matter-of-factly.

"Do you have any more?"

Ginny bit her lip. "No," began, "but your dad loved this one and encouraged me to have it embellished years ago. I went back to the same artist, and he elongated the body and the tail feathers. It goes right down my back and the tail curls around my waist."

"Can I see?"

"Sure. I use a _Notice Me Not_ _Charm_ when I wear backless tops. I'm not ashamed of it, but you know how conventional the wizarding world is. Men can be tattooed, but women? Not so much." She removed her top and unhooked her bra, leaving her breasts covered. "What do you think?"

"Oh Mum, it's gorgeous! The colour is fantastic. Move a bit so I can see how it looks." Ginny bent and twisted for a moment or two. "It's like it's alive and moves with you!"

"Well, that bit is thanks to Hermione."

"How so?"

"After the ink dried, she charmed it to move naturally as my body moves. She taught me, and I did the same to hers."

"What did she get?"

Ginny used her moment of redressing to think about how to answer Lily's question. Although it wasn't really Ginny's story to tell, she wanted her daughter to realise the good and bad of decisions made as a youth. What seemed a lark when they were young was now a burden of regret for Hermione.

With a serious expression, Ginny said, "You must swear never tell Uncle Ron. She keeps it glamoured when he is home from his Quidditch League."

"Why? Is it nasty or something?"

"First I need your vow you won't tell him. Aunt Hermione loves Uncle Ron, but this would cause them problems."

"Okay, Mum. I swear," Lily said seriously and felt magic swirl about her as the vow took place.

Sitting down again, she sighed. "As I said, we got our tattoos right after the war. Aunt Hermione always had a bit of a crush on Professor Snape, and when we knew why he had become a spy, she fell right over the edge, all romantic like, and got a rather lovely tattoo of the Slytherin crest and his name with his date of birth and death. It's on her torso along the right side."

"Does it move?"

"Yes. She had me charm the snake so that it slithers down and wraps itself around Professor Snape's name and then back onto the crest."

"How come she hides it from Uncle Ron?"

Ginny didn't answer right away, taking a moment to figure out how to explain what Hermione had done. She adored her brother, and felt guilty keeping such a secret from him. He was a wonderful husband and father who spoiled his children and wife. He worked so hard at Quidditch and was now the manager of the Cheswick Bullets. She was proud, but also sad for him at the same time, having to keep such a secret.

"Please understand that Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron love each other very much and have a happy marriage. But, Hermione was confused and lost in those months right after the battle. She and your dad and Ron had had a hell of a year, and she carried a lot of guilt over _Obliviating_ her parents and hiding them in Australia. Then when she learned just what Snape had done…well, it was hard for her. She went head over heels about him, and nothing I could do or say could convince her otherwise to not get that particular tattoo." Ginny laughed quietly and smiled rather ruefully. "She was rather rebellious right after the war. All she wanted was peace and quiet, but many people expected so much from the 'cleverest witch of her age'.

"Uncle Ron, however, to this day, does not believe that Snape was anything but a Death Eater. He can't get past what happened in my sixth year, nor can he get over how Snape treated him, your father or Hermione while they were in school. He also thinks it's a bit morbid to have loved a dead person for so long."

"But Professor Snape is a hero," Lily gushed.

"To a point, I agree." Ginny was quiet a moment, her eyes looking at her hands in her lap as they played with the hem of her shirt. When she continued, her voice was slightly muted. "I still have trouble with what happened that year, Lils, but time is easing it. However, my feelings were not Aunt Hermione's."

"Is she unhappy she got it?"

"No, I don't think so. Like your father's tattoo—"

"POPS has one?"

Ginny smiled. "Oh, yes, it's quite lovely. It's phoenix inside of a heart and around it he's added the dates of birth of your brothers and you."

"Where is it?"

"Just at the top of his bum," Ginny laughed. "And no, he won't show it to you!"

The pair dissolved into giggles and for a few moments could do nothing but laugh. Once they managed to catch their breath, Ginny said, "But all of this does not solve your own request for a tattoo, knowing how I feel about your age."

"I'd still like one."

"You're hoping that I'll just say yes since I have one, aren't you?"

"Will you?" Lily smiled beguilingly.

"Tattoos are a commitment, Lily. They are not something you can get rid of with a spell. Even Muggles can't get rid of them easily. They have to go through a procedure where they burn it off. It's quite expensive, I hear." Ginny lifted the magazine that had fallen from Lily's lap during their discussion. "Nor are they something you do because your favourite celebrities have them. Some of these," Ginny pointed to a star design on an actress' shoulder, "are actually temporary. They'll wash off after the night is over."

"But Mum, these," Lily rifled through the magazine to find the picture she wanted. "These ones are tribal. The men in these pictures got them as part of their coming of age," she argued.

"And that's fine. It's part of a native custom, apparently. You are not from a tribe."

Lily tossed the magazine aside and bit at some loose skin on her thumb.

"You're thinking, Miss Lily. I can always telling when you're scheming," laughed Ginny.

Lily smiled. "I've drawn some designs of tattoos I might like to get. Can I show you?"

"Sure. Run up and get them."

Lily leapt from the sofa and dashed away. Ginny sighed and picked up the magazine, looking through a few of the pages. The tattoos were certainly alluring and some of the placement on the models in the magazine were definitely bordering on erotic. _She's still so young,_ thought Ginny before snorting. She had only just turned eighteen when she got her own tattoo, and she felt a bit hypocritical telling Lily no. There were times when she wished she didn't have to keep a charm over the tattoo, after all she loved it, but her world was so old fashioned at times. Sighing, she decided she'd at least talk to Harry and get his opinion.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the couch suddenly sagged, announcing the arrival of Lily, who had bounced onto the cushion. "Here," she said happily, "I've drawn a bunch of them. What do you think?"

Ginny turned the parchments over one by one, gasping at each new drawing. "Lily, these are amazing. You've incorporated both the Potter and the Weasley crests into the design! What made you think of this?"

Lily's chest puffed and she sat up straighter. "I am part of two amazingly brave and loyal families. Why wouldn't I want to carry that symbol permanently?"

Ginny turned and smiled at her daughter. Like Harry, she was so proud to be part of two families of honour. She turned back to the parchment in her lap. "These are lovely and any of them would look smashing as a tattoo. However, I need to talk to your dad about this."

Lily threw a fist pump into the air. "Yes!" she said in triumph.

"I'm not saying this is a 'yes'. I am saying I'll talk to your dad. If he says no, I'm afraid you'll have to settle with that."

"I'll be seventeen though. I'll be able to do it with or without your permission," said Lily, arms folded across her chest.

"That's true, but having our permission will make it more meaningful and less like you've done something wrong. Since we'll be paying for it-" she trailed off pointedly.

"All right. I guess I can wait for you to think about it. You'll talk to Pops tonight, though?"

"I promise."

Lily stood and kissed her mother. "Thanks, Mum."

A week after Lily's birthday, she and Ginny visited Diagon Alley to visit the new tattoo shop. The artist in the shop was very impressed with Lily's drawings, and the two of them worked on tweaking her chosen ink until they were both happy. She had it placed on the inner part of her right arm and, in all, it took two visits to the shop to complete the work. Lily was very satisfied and even her mother and father were pleased at how well it turned out.

Lily also received the heirloom brooch from her Weasley grandparents and a locket that had been her grandmother Potter's. All three items made memories of her seventeenth birthday very dear to her.

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 **A/N: My research via internet indicated that as I have written in this story, you must be 18 to get a tattoo in England, regardless of parental permission. If this is incorrect, kindly let me know. You must be 18 in Sweden to obtain a tattoo, but if that's not right, let me know.**


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